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Dumbledore strikes me as the type who would keep the prophecy to himself, particularly the most telling bits of it. He might stretch the truth and tell the Potters or Longbottoms he had inside information that they were being targeted, but I just don't know if he would just outright tell them and worry them needlessly. He didn't tell Harry, after all. Plus, knowing a prophecy affects the outcome.

That said, I think an author can do what they want with this scenario as long as they write it well and believable. You could totally write a story in which Dumbledore tells them, or a story in which he doesn't. It just has to be fleshed out, explained, and believable. It might be neat to have him tell James but not Lily.

As for the timeline, I again think there is room to fudge it. I personally don't think the prophecy was made before either Alice Longbottom or Lily Potter became pregnant, so it would have to be after October/November, 1980. It was a 'cold, wet night' when Dumbledore was interviewing Trelawney so it could be winter or it could be spring. I wrote a story where it was spring myself.

I'll have to think more on how Snape fits in. The HPL has him warning Dumbledore in summer 1980 but then starting at Hogwarts in 1981. It's rather confusing since one page says in the fall and one page says after the Potters are killed. >.<

This only leaves us with the secret-keeper, problem. Perhaps Pettigrew knew for an entire year before he finally cracked and changed sides.

Sirius Black does accuse Pettigrew of passing information to Voldemort for over a year. However, the Fidelius Charm was not cast until a week or so before Halloween (Oct. 24 according to the HPL) so it only took a week for Peter to give up the Potters. Perhaps he was tormented.

Hope that helps - since there is no solid canon, you have some options! Good luck!
~Gina

Its for the OC forum challenge thing, and I'm making it Lily Potter's fear, and I think for it to fit the requirements it has to be something she actively knows about and has been dwelling on for a while for it to be one of her worst fears. I like the idea of Dumbledore only telling part of the truth, or just one partner, but I think she would probably have to know that her unborn child is in danger. Or she could perhaps guess it.

With Peter, I think of him as this being the point where he starts to turn. It's never in the story but Voldemort would need information on who was pregnant etc and would need inside information, and Peter would be that source. It's having him spying for Voldemort a lot longer than Sirius says, but hey, I think it could be possible.

I've also figured out that Dumbledore is the hardest character for me to write

Hmm, personally I think James and Lily knew they were targetted but also that Harry was the target. I can't see James voluntarily going into hiding merely because Dumbledore says 'he' is at risk. Any Order member is at risk, after all.

Lily talks of him being restless and we know he's reckless, so I think they must have known Harry was the target or they wouldn't have stayed hidden. Plus when Voldemort does turn up, James' first words are for Lily to take Harry and run. I think they know exactly why he's being targetted because I can't see them being content with any old story that Dumbledore would have told them.

I think Dumbledore would have tried not to tell them the whole truth, but surely he would have known the only way to keep James at Godric's Hollow was to tell him that it was Harry they needed to protect.

It's having him spying for Voldemort a lot longer than Sirius says, but hey, I think it could be possible.

It's possibly, but as Lily became pregnant in November 1979 that's quite a lot longer for him to have been a spy. Instead of having him as an active spy, perhaps Peter accidentally lets something slip. I've written a story about Peter where he gets seduced by a Ministry worker (who has Death eater connections) and lets slip details about the Order and that's how he gets sucked into the whole sorry mess.
I'd be wary about him being a willing spy for much longer than a year (October 1980) because I think Dumbledore would have realised earlier, and Sirius would have said two years rather than one.

Do you think that Dumbledore told the Potters who it was that told Voldemort about the prophesy? Do you think they knew anything about Snape's involvement?

No, I don't think Dumbledore did tell them Or at least there's no way he would have told James.

He might possibly have told Lily once Snape had turned spy about his full involvement, but James would never have trusted Snape - they hated each other far too much, and he would have ignored anything Dumbledore said and just gone out and killed him. Or he'd have told Sirius and then Sirius would have killed him.

And there's the fact that Snape didn't want anyone to know. Or was that after she died? *flicks through DH* oh, it was after... Still, Snape might have said not to tell anyone before. Dumbledore might drop subtle hints to Lily though. I can perhaps see him doing that.

I think Dumbledore would be very wary and would totally rebuff said flirt. You have to bear in mind the times, of course. Flirting from a female would be deemed 'inappropriate' - from a male it would be seen as wrong.

Dumbledore's love for Grindelwald has to be seen with the era as the backdrop. Another handsome young man giving him the eye would totally shake him. Aranna is dead, Aberforth blames him and Albus does think it's his own fault.

He'd distance himself and probably be quite rude about it. At that time, I doubt Dumbledore had the tact and humour that we see in the books.